Vending machine



May 6, 1924. 1,493,263 H. T. HANCE VENDING MACHINE Flled June 19. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented May n, 1924.

UNITED STATES HARRY T. HANCE, 0F WESTERVILLE, OHIO.

' VENDING MACHINE.

Application filed June 19, 1922. Serial No. 569,283.

I '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY T. HANcE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Westerville, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention is directed to improvements in vending machines, and particularly to one wherein shelled peanuts or the like are delivered in measured quantities upon insertion of the proper coin in the ma chine. I

The invention has for one of its objects to provide a device of this type wherein the peanuts are kept in a comparatively hot state, the heating medium being located in the bottom of the container so that peanuts in the immediate vicinity of the heating element will be properly heated previous to the delivery thereof from the container, the heater being of such construction so as to not displace any of the nuts in the container thereby permitting the container to hold its allotted capacity.

A further object of the invention is to .provide in combination with the container an illuminated globular sign having contained therein an incandescent bulb capable of being intermittently illuminated to attract attention to the device, the sign being readily capable of replacement in case of breakage and to protect the incandescent bulb, the sign being of comparatively heavy glass. Heretofore it has been the practice to place advertising matter directlyupon the unprotected incandescent bulb, but owing to the fragile nature of such bulbs it is necessary to replace them at short intervals owing to breakage and burning out, with the result that it is necessary to keep a supply of expensively marked bulbs on hand. I overcome this objection by. marking the'sign and enclosing the unmarked bulb therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple means for securing the top in place, and mounting in the top an incan' descent bulb having associated therewith a conventional form of flasher so that the bulb and sign will be intermittently illuminated.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts, and hereinafter to be fully described and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device, partly in section, v m

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, i

F igure3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the ring. 1

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of the electric circuit.

In the drawings 1 is the base which is hollow, and contains a delivery mechanism designated by the numeral 2, which may be of any improved construction. Mounted upon the upper end of the base 1' is a plate 3 which isprovided with an annular. upstanding fliinge 4, said plate being further provided with an opening 5 through which the nuts pass to the delivery mechanism.

The container 6 is formed from glass and is preferably of the contour shown, the lower open end of which rests upon the plate 3, and is held against lateral displacement by the flange 4:. Removably engaged upon the upper'end of the container is a ring 7, the inner wall of which has depending therefrom an angle bracket 8, and a pair of angle brackets 9, the latter having openings 10 and communicating slots 11 formed in their horizontal portions, while the former is provided with an opening 12, the purpose of'which will appear later. The ring 7 is provided with an annular flange 13 to limit the lateral movement thereof with respect to the container. The ring is further provided with a keeper 14;. and a diametrically disposed socket member 15.

A substantially bell shaped top 16 is employed and has its lower edge provided with a ho0k 17 adapted to detachably engage the socket member 15, there being a lug 18 carried by the top and disposed diametrically opposite the hook 17, said lug being adapted to detachably engage the keeper 14-. To look the top in place it is only necessary to pass the shackle of the lock 19 through the lug 18. This top has an opening 20 formed therein through which the globular sign 21 is passed in an upward direction, said sign having a flaring skirt 22 which engages the interior surface of the top 16 adjacent the opening 20 to properly position the sign. Clips are carried by the top and are held in engagement with the lower edge of the skirt 22 through the medium of the screw bolts 24. In this manner the sign will be held firmly in place but at the same time may be conveniently removed when desired.

A transverse bar 25 is secured within the top 16 and mounted thereon is a flasher of any well known type, and associated therewith is an incandescent bulb 26 which extends into the sign 21. The sign may be decorated in any artistic manner and may have printed thereon any desired advertising matter.

Threaded in the plate 3 are the lower ends of the spaced tubes 2?, the upper ends of which being engaged in the openings 10 of the brackets 9 and are threaded for engagement by the nuts 28. Since the tubes 27 have their lower ends threaded in the plate 3 and their upper ends connected with the brackets the plate 3 and ring 7 will be connected, thereby holding the globular container 6 clamped therebetween. A rod 29 has its lower end also threaded in the plate 3 and its upper end engaged in the opening 12 of the bracket 8, and serves in conjunction with the tubes 27 to hold the container in place.

Mounted upon the plate 3 is an electrical heating unit 30 of any well known make, and engaged over said unit is an arcuate cover plate 31 adapted to enclose the unit so that nuts in the bottom of the container will not come in direct contact with the heating unit. This cover plate has itsupper surface pro vided with transverse heat radiating ribs 32. The central portion of the forward edge of the cover plate is inclined downwardly as at 32 toward the opening 4 so as to guide the nuts to the opening, and upon the opposite ends of this inclined portion are located ears 33 which lie adjacent the rear corners of the opening 4 and serve as additional means for radiation of heat to assure that the nuts in the lower end of the container will be effectively heated. The plate 3 be ing formed of metal will become heated since the unit 30 rests thereon. The plate 33 has a perforation 34; formed therein near its rear edge and is engaged by the rod 29, and in this manner the cover plate 31 will be held from sliding laterally within the container.

The electric energy is furnished to the flasher through the wires 35 which pass through the tubes 27, there being a connector 36 arranged in the circuit so that the tube 16 may be conveniently removed. The slots 11 of the brackets 9 will permit the wires to pass from the openings 10 should it be desired to remove the tubes 27. The heating unit 30 is furnished current through the wires 37 said wires with the wires 35 receiving energy from a common source of supply.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that a vending machine has been provided which can be easily and quickly assembled, the top being readily removable to permit the container to be replenished with merchandise, the heating unit being so located in the container that the contents thereof will remain in a crisp state. Further the wires to the flasher are concealed from View and protected, since they are passed through the tubes, which also constitute means, in addi tion to the rod29 to secure the ring 7 and the associated top in fixed position.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. In a vending machine, the combination with a base, of a transparent container mounted on the base, a top detachably associated with the container, a light bulb supported by the top and projected thereabove, and a globular transparentsign detachably gonlgiected with the top and enclosing said 2. In a vending machine, the combination with a base, of a plate supported by the base, a container mounted on the plate, a ring arranged on the upper end of] the container, said ring having brackets carried thereby, tubes having their lower ends fixed to the plate and the upper ends engaged with the ,bracki ets, a top for the container, a light element carried by the top, a globular sign carried by the top and enclosing the light element, and current conducting wires leading from the base and through the tubes to furnish current for the light element.

3. In a vending machine, the combination with a base, of a plate mounted thereon, a container mounted on the plate, a ring mounted on the containerand to be detachably connected with the ring, means for connecting the ring and plate including a rod, a heating unit mounted on the plate, and a cover plate for said unit engaged with. the rod.

In testimony whereo'tI a'flix my signature.

HARRY T. I-IANGE. 

